Potato-peeler



W. LEFTERUK.

POTATO PEELER. APPLICATION FILED Nov. I3, 1919.

Patented Apr. 13, 1920.

A TTORNEY.

WILLIAM LEFTEB/UK, OF GONOB, MANITOBA, CANADA.

PUTATO-PEELER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 13, 1920.

Application filed November 13, 1.919. Serial No. 337,787.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, VILLIAM LEFTERUK, a citizen of Canada, residing at Gonor, Province of Manitoba, and Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object the provision of means for mechanically peeling potatoes and like vegetables in a rapid and effective manner, the same being adapted to operate upon a large quantity of the vegetables and deliver the same free from their skins or ackets as may be required.

This object is attained by the novel construction and combination of parts herein-V after described and shown in the accompanying drawings, forming a material part of the disclosure, and in which- Figure 1 is a side elevational view showing a potato peeler made in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 1, and,

Fig. 4 is a similar transverse sectional view taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the numeral 10 indicates a tubular container having a flat side 11 and a contracted lower end or mouth 12 from which extends a neck 14, terminating in an outturned angular flange 15, this structure resembling in aspect a bottle in an inverted position.

Secured by a plurality of rivets or bolts 17, to the flange 15 is a corresponding liange 16 forming the upper portion of an inverted funnel from which extends side elements 19.

The main hollow body 10 is supported upon three sides by legs 20, their lower ends being outturned and adapted to vrest upon any convenient level surface.

Formed within the hollow body are a pair of oppositely disposed bosses 22 in which is journaled the shaft 23, the same being parallel to the fiat side 11 of the casing, another similar shaft 24 being placed parallel therebelow, and secured to the shaft 24 is a crank handle 25 at one side of the casing, while from the other extending end of the shaft 24, is a sprocket 27 over which is trained a chain 28 leading to another sprocket 29 fixed upon the upper shaft 23.

Secured adjacent to the side of the sprocket 27 is an inner sprocket 30, driving a chain 31, conveying power to another Potato Peelers, of

of a paddle sprocket 32 xed upon a shaft 33 journaled near the lower end of the casing 10 and passing from side to side therein.

Other sprockets are lixed upon the shaft 23 over which are trained a pair of conveyer chains 34 to which are attached open buckets 35 which are raised by operating the crank handle 23 and filled with the vegetables to be peeled, and which, as the buckets pass the center of the axis, are dropped down adjacent to the fiat portion l1 of the casing into contact with the vanes wheel, fixed upon the shaft 33 which is rotated obviously whenever the crank is actuated. Y

A plurality of bent fiat springs 38 are secured by riveting or like fastenings within the neck element 14, their curved inner portions resting against a similar number of knives 39 having an arcuately curved cross section, these knives also being curved and arranged to overlap at their contacting edges, forming a conical nozzle having its larger portion or base uppermost, while its contracted lower end is substantially level with the junction of the flanges 15 and 16.

Another opposed set of bent fiat springs are secured within the cylindrical portion 13 of the discharge element, these springs resting against the upper ends of knives 42, formed with smaller upper end of a bell shaped discharge element 43 held by springs 40 to the outer element 19, it being understood that the knives 42 are secured by screws 44 to the element 43 and are capable of springing readily outward so as to permit the passage of the vegetables but remove the skin or peel as it is pressed by, due to the action of the paddle wheel 36. The peeled vegetable drops into a container 45, resting on the surface supporting the legs 20, which surface is placed so as to receive the parings as they pass down in the space 46 formed between the elements 19 and 43.

In operation, when the crank 25 is rotated, vegetables are entered into the buckets 35 and then dropped downward adjacent to the flat side of the casing, coming in contact with the paddle wheel 36, which presses them through the springs 39 and eventually against the knives 42 so that the vegetables are dropped into the receiver or bucket 45 while the peelings pass through the space 46.

From the foregoing it will be seen that a conveniently operated article of the class described has been disclosed and that the same is capable of practical use.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a potato peeler, the combination with a hollow casing having a contracted lower end and means for supporting said casing, of a pair of shafts journaled in said casing, means for actuating said shafts, a conveyer mounted in said casing, its buckets being adapted to receive the vegetables to be peeled, a paddle wheel receptive ol' the entered vegetables, a plurality of spring elements engageable with `the vegetables said spring elements being adapted to operate in the manner of a funnel, a conical element secured inthe lowermost part or' said casing, the lupper edge of said conical element being sharply formed to operate as knives, and a plurality of springs adapted to press said conical element toward a common center.

2. In a potato peeler, the combination with a cylindrical casing having one {lattened side and a contracted lower end, of a Y conical receiver mounted at the lower portion ofrsaid casing, said receiver being comprised of a plurality of spring impelled units disposed so that their smaller portions are directed downward, `a second conical element secured at the lowermost portion of said casing, knives integrally ormedwith said second conical element, said knives projecting upward to said springs, and means for supporting said second conical element at the lowermost .extremity of said casing.

3. Ina potato peeler, the combination with a cylindrical casing having a flattened side and a contracted lower extremity terminating in a flange, and supporting means adapted to maintain said casing normally erect, of a `flaring discharge element secured to said llange, a manually operable conveyer mounted in said casing, a paddle wheel adapted to receive articles delivered by said conveyer and ,torce the same downward, a funnel comprised of a vplurality of spring elements maintained at the lower portion of said casing, springs adapted to force-the elements vot' said funnel toward a Vcommon center, a bell-shaped element secured to the lower end ofsaid casing, a flanged cone held in said bell-shaped element, a plurality oit spring impelled knives integrally formed with the upper end of said flangedcone, said knives being adapted to receive articlespresented thereagainst and delivered into said cone, a Vplurality of springs adapted to force said conical knives toward afcommon center, andan annular passage formed between said cone and said youter element adapted to receivethe peelings fromthe articles.

In .testimony whereof I'have afiixed my signature.

WILLIAM LEFTERUK. llitness:

J. H. STANGER. 

